Support means for a rotatable breaker plate for distributors



July 29, 1958 M. F. STERNER 2,845,502

SUPPORT MEANS FOR A ROTATABLE BREAKER PLATE FOR DISTRIBUTORS Filed July 18, 1955 2 42 FIG! 0 4o o as INVENTOR. MELIN F. STERNE R United States Patent "Ofiice 2,845,502 Patented July 29, 1958 SUPPORT MEANS FOR A ROTATABLE BREAKER PLATE FOR DISTRIBUTORS Melvin F. Sterner, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., assignor to Holley Carburetor Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application July 18, 1955, Serial No. 522,789

7 Claims. (Cl. 200--31) The present invention relates to support means for a rotatable breaker plate for distributors.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, in a distributor having an angularly adjustable or rotatable breaker plate, support and guide means therefor characterized by its simplicity, economy, the accuracy with which it supports the breaker plate, and its long life.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a breaker plate support means designed to support the plate for free rotation, to prevent Warping of the plate, and to take up any wear.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide guiding support elements for a distributor plate comprising three guiding supporting elements preferably formed of a suitable plastic bearing material such as polytetrafiuoroethylene, sold under the name Teflon, means for fixedly mounting two of said elements, means for supporting the third element for radial movement with respect to the axis of the plate, all of said elements being provided with narrow slots for receiving edge portions of the distributor plate. 2

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the distributor with its cover removed.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2, Figure l.

The distributor comprises the usual housing including a bearing 12 in which is rotatably received a distributor shaft 14 adapted to be driven by a rotating part of the engine so as to effect time control of the spark.

Adjacent its upper end and driven in rotation by the distributor shaft 14 and angularly adjustable sleeve 17 is the cam 16. Mounted for rotation about the axis of the cam 16 is the distributor plate 18 which carries the breaker arm 20 mounted for rotation about an axis indicated at 22. The arm 20 includes a rubbing block 24 engageable with the lobed cam 16 and adapted to actuate the breaker to separate the breaker points indicated generally at 26 in accordance with rotation of the cam.

In order to efiect a control of the timing in accordance with engine conditions, means are provided for effecting angular adjustment of the breaker plate in accordance with engine conditions. This means may comprise a diaphragm control device indicated generally at 28 which includes a diaphragm therein connected to a diaphragm rod 30 which is directly connected to the distributor plate 18 by a pin 32.

Througout the life of the distributor, it is of course apparent that the distributor plate will be moved in angular adjustment continuously and that wear will normally be expected. It is essential for accurate timing control that the distributor plate and particularly the operating mechanism such as the breaker arm carried thereby, be maintained in proper position within very close limits. Accordingly, it is essential to avoid any warping of the plate.

In accordance with the present invention special means are provided for mounting the breaker plate which are designed to prevent warping, to take up wear so as to prevent vibration or wobble, and to maintain operation of the breaker plate in a definitely fixed and invariable plane with very low friction or drag which will keep hysteresis to a minimum.

This means comprises three support and guide elements, two of which are indicated at 34 and which are fixed in appropriately formed recesses 36 provided in a thickened flange 38 at the top of the distributor housing. The third guide element as indicated at 40, is relatively longer and is slidably received in a cup member 42 having a forwardly extending reduced threaded tubular portion 44 threadedly engaged in an opening extending through the flange 38 of the housing. The guide and bearing element 40 is urged radially inwardly toward the axis of the distributor plate and cammed by spring means 46.

All three of the elements 34 and 40 are provided with fiat slots 48 adapted to receive flat arcuate edge portions of the breaker plate 18. The spring 46 operates to cause the edges of the plate to bottom in the slots 48.

The foregoing arrangement provides a very simple, economical, accurate and long lasting guide and support structure for the breaker plate 18. The guide and support elements 34 and 40 are preferably formed of a plastic bearing material. Excellent results have been obtained when this material is polytetrafiuoroethylene which is sold under the trade name Teflon. As wear occurs it is taken up by forward movement of the guide and support element 49 so that the distributor plate is at all times firmly supported against radial wobble as well as wobble out of its intended plane of rotation. In other words, the guide means operate to maintain the distributor plate in a fixed plane.

It will be noted that assembly and removal of the breaker plate is rendered extremely simple by the present construction. It is necessary only to press the movable guide element 40 inwardly in the cup member 42 at which time the edge of the distributor plate may be removed from the slots of the stationary guide elements 34.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved support means for a rotatable breaker plate for distributors in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Structure for mounting a breaker plate having fiat arcuate edge portions for angular adjustment comprising three support and guide elements, means mounting two of said elements in fixed position to engage the periphery of said plate at spaced positions, means mounting the third element for movement radially of said plate, spring means urging said third element radially inwardly, the inner portions of all of said elements being provided with parallel sided slots whose width is just sufficient, to receive in guiding and supporting relation the edge portions of said plate. 1

2. Structure for mounting a breaker plate having flat arcuate edge portions for angular adjustment comprising three support and guide elements, means mounting two of said elements in fixed position to engage the periphcry of said plate at spaced positions, means mounting the third element for movement radially of said plate, spring means urging said third element radially inwardly, the inner portions of all of said elements being provided with parallel sided slots whose width is just sufficient to receive in guiding and supporting relation the edge portions of said plate, said elements being formed of a plastic bearing material.

3. A distributor comprising in combination, a housing having a circular side wall, a circuit breaker plate mounted within said housing for angular adjustment about the axis of said housing, said plate having flat edge portions terminating in arcuate edges concentric with the axis of said housing, a plurality of angularly spaced non-- metallic anti-friction elements carried by said housing in the plane of said plate, said anti-friction elements having fiat parallel sided slots whose width is just suflicient to receive the flat edge portions of said plate, said slots having bottom surfaces engaging the edges of said plate.

4. A distributor comprising in combination a housing having a cylindrical portion, a flat circular plate disposed within said housing coaxially thereof, non-metallic antifriction elements carried by said housing at the inside thereof in the plane of said plate, said elements each having a slot having parallel side walls substantially perpendicular to the axis of said plate and a bottom wall connecting said side Walls, the edges of said plate being received in said slots and guided and supported by the side and bottom Walls thereof.

5. A distributor comprising in combination a housing having a cylindrical portion, a fiat circular plate disposed Within said housing coaxially thereof, non-metallic antifriction elements carried by said housing at the inside thereof in the plane of said plate, said elements each having a slot having parallel side walls substantially perpendicular to the axis of said plate and a bottom wall connecting said side walls, resilient means urging one of said elements radially inwardly, the edges of said plate being received in said slots and guided and supported by the side and bottom walls thereof.

6. A distributor comprising in combination, a housing having a cylindrical wall, a circuit breaker plate mounted within said housing for angular adjustment about the axis of said housing, said plate having flat edge portions terminating in arcuate edges concentric with the axis of said housing, the side Wall of said housing having a pair of radially inwardly opening recesses and a through opening located in the plane of said plate, said recesses and t opening being equally spaced circumferentially, a pair of 4' non-metallic anti-friction elements in said recesses, a third non-metallic anti-friction element received in said opening for movement therein radially of the housing, said elements having fiat parallel sided slots whose width is just sufiicient to receive and guidingly engage the 'arcuate edge portions of said plate and having bottom locating surfaces engaging the edges of said plate.

7. A distributor comprising in combination, a housing having a cylindrical wall, a circuit breaker plate mounted within said housing for angular adjustment about the axis of said housing, said plate having flat edge portions terminating in arcuate edges concentric with the axis of said housing, the side wall of said housing having a pair of radially inwardly opening recesses and a through opening located in the plane of said plate, said recesses and opening being equally spaced circumferentially, a pair at non-metallic anti-friction elements in said recesses, a third non-metallic anti-friction element received in said opening for movement therein radially of the housing, said elements having flat parallel sided slots Whose width is just suflicient to receive and guidingly engage the arcuate edge portions of said plate and having bottom locating surfaces engaging the edges of said plate, the through opening in the side wall of said housing having a cup secured therein, and a compression spring in said cup urging the anti-friction element in said opening into contact with said plate to retain said plate in bottomed relation in the slots of all three anti-friction elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 792,980 Garman June 20, 1905 1,688,005 Dicksee Oct. 16, 1928 2,444,149 Aldridge June 29, 1948 2,504,439 McKenna Apr. 15, 1950 2,546,710 Aldridge Mar. 27, 1951 2,671,829 Bales Mar. 9, 1954 2,739,195 Bales Mar. 20, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,068,813 France Feb. 10, 1954 

